Would You Recommend

Holistic Experience

5.0 of 5 stars

August 2015
|
CURRENT STUDENT

Uppers

Everyone at Vandy is smart and going places - but it's the kind of place where "smart" isn't enough to do well. Vandy forces you to develop yourself as a whole to be successful - socially, physically, academically.

Downers

Pressure cooker. Similar issues to all other top-tier schools - the pressure to do it all builds up.

Comments

Vandy is a fantastic school for students who want a high caliber education inside and outside the classroom.

Level

Graduation Year

Academics

Students in Arts and Sciences have a program called AXLE which is the core program. The general requirements for this are pretty broad so that you are taking classes in many different areas of study. There are lots of different types of classes that fulfill each requirement so you can take classes that are interesting to you. Degree requirements are typically around 30 hours in your major area of study and minors are typically 18, although some are more. Class sizes range, but the large majority are under 50 students. The bigger classes are general math and science classes. Every student has the ability to do research through a professor. Usually you can just approach a professor and ask them about opportunities and get involved that way. You can do research in any subject, not just science and medicine. The professors all have office hours so they are easy to contact and to meet with. Most students are competitive academically at this school because most of us have always cared a lot about our grades. The workload is whatever you make it out to be, but it is never going to be extremely easy. Everyone has to work to get the results they want. Most students take around 15 hours, but you can take as little as 12. Some students choose to take 18 plus hours. I try to manage the number of hours I take based on the difficulty of the classes I have to take that semester. Grading depends on the professor and the subject.

Quality of Life

I could not be happier at my school. The strong community emphasis and the fact that over 90 percent of students live on campus, really creates a cohesive environment both academically and socially. There is a great life balance between working hard, being engaged in clubs and activities, and social life. I've always felt extremely safe on campus and the school is good about letting people know when crimes happen in the area. The library is recently renovated and while not all the dorms are amazing, they are working on renovating those. I do believe the school could do a better job at community relations, because many students feel isolated from the rest of the world when they are on campus. There are clubs and programs that are intended to help with that, but I think the school as a whole could be more active about community relations.

Admissions

The school is on the common application with just a small supplement that is very basic. There are optional alumni interviews that are not necessary, but can help you in the process. There are two early decision options and a regular decision option. There is a separate scholarship application and financial aid is all done based on the FAFSA. The school does not take into account financial aid when considering your acceptance, so the school is need-blind and also there are no more loans, just grants.

Level

4

Graduation Year

Academics

Vanderbilt is a liberal arts school so there is a liberal arts core that you must complete. The number of hours required for the liberal arts core differs from major to major. This is the same for the major requirements. Academic advising for the Engineering school is very helpful since you declare your major when you apply. Therefore your advisor is within your major field and they are your advisor for four years. They are very helpful in recommending classes and helping you decide which paths to take. The class sizes are reasonably small especially once you get into your major classes. The professors are very willing to meet with you whenever you are available to go over tests, homework, or just if you need advice. They are very flexible and understanding and want you to do well. The research opportunities here are amazing and not very hard to find. All you have to do is talk with your professors or ask around and most likely you will find a research opportunity that suits you. The classes are challenging and the workload is reflective of that, but if you learn how to manage your time you should be perfectly fine. I find that most students are able to balance the workload with having a life.

Quality of Life

The housing is extremely nice and there are multiple options for living styles on campus. The campus is beautiful and the food is wonderful. The libraries are well-kept with plenty of study spaces. I really love the campus and think the quality of life at Vanderbilt is exceptional.

Admissions

Vanderbilt uses the Common Application, which makes it pretty easy to apply. You can do an interview (I did) in your hometown and it is beneficial for the student to get to know more about Vanderbilt. There are two different Early Decision deadlines, which is nice if you aren't sure you want to go to Vanderbilt by November. Vanderbilt offers lots of financial aid and scholarship opportunities.

Level

Graduation Year

Academics

Requirements vary depending on which academic school you are in: college of arts and sciences, blair school of music, school of engineering, or peabody.

Quality of Life

Students live on campus for all four years. Living is expensive, but you are directly on campus. The campus is beautiful, with althetic facilities and room for al lthe student organizations. There are many different libraries which all students (graduate and undergraduate) can access. Students are required to purchase a meal plan for three years (21 meals, 14 meals, and 8 meals) with additional meals as an option. Nashville is an amazing city and Vanderbilt has a lot of support and respect in the community. We have our own police force and the campus is flooded with blue lights. Students are extremely happy.

Admissions

Since I applied, Vanderbilt has switched to a common application only. I had an optional alumni interview which was helpful. There is an early decision one and two option along with regular decision. They have an incredible financial aid program that is loan free for all students that can be explored at the Vanderbilt Admissions website. There are a few merit scholarship opportunities available as well.